The provincial government is introducing legislation to allow Métis people to use their Manitoba Métis Federation citizenship cards as identification when purchasing liquor, cannabis and gaming products — something prohibited under current regulations.
Premier Heather Stefanson announced the change in a news release Thursday afternoon.
“The Manitoba government is continuing to advance reconciliation and honour the vital contributions of the Red River Métis in shaping Manitoba’s history and culture,” she said. “These changes will remove barriers for Indigenous peoples to access products and services, such as those regulated by the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba.”
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES MMF President David Chartrand commended the decision, calling the previous regulations a “discriminatory policy” that had the “secure and protected IDs disregarded.”
MMF President David Chartrand commended the decision, calling the previous regulations a “discriminatory policy” that had the “secure and protected IDs disregarded.”
“We thank premier Stefanson for her efforts to remedy this discrimination. We will continue to advocate for the recognition of our nation and the rights of our citizens with our provincial partners on many other matters of importance to us,” he said.
The MMF is federally recognized as a self-government, with around 47,000 members living in the province.
Its citizenship cards include security features consistent with other modern ID, including holographic images, photos, birth dates and personal information. Both Elections Canada and Elections Manitoba recognize it as a primary form of identification.
Officials from the regulatory body also endorsed the new legislation.
“We also understand that not all individuals may have access to identification that is currently accepted by some retailers and this is another step to removing barriers for Manitobans to access these age-restricted products,” said Kristianne Dechant, LGCA chief executive officer.
The authority will update its regulations in coming months. Staff at licensed establishments will be trained to recognize the MMF citizenship cards.
